COVID-19: 633 total active cases as on March 26:Active cases of COVID-19 goes up to 633, however the ‘Rate of Increase’ remains stable, according to Union Health Ministry.

Stay positive, stay engaged, union minister Javadekar tells officials:Union Minister Prakash Javadekar held an audio conference this morning with officials of the three ministries under him and told them to stay positive and engaged during the 21-day lockdown period.

Union health minister urges citizens not to discriminate health workers:Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan has urged people to not discriminate against doctors, nurses and paramedics in the wake of COVID-19 outbreak.

Home Ministry issues fresh guidelines on lockdown exemption: COVID-19:Home Ministry issued fresh guidelines on Thursday covering additional people and services that will be exempted from the 21-day lockdown.

Social distancing is the only way to counter COVID-19: PM Modi:Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reiterated that social distancing is the only way to counter the spread of COVID-19 saying the virus does not discriminate and it can infect anyone.

Citizens practice Social Distancing to keep Covid-19 away:In some parts of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Puducherry and Andhra Pradesh, people have drawn circles or squares at a distance on the floor and stand there to buy things while waiting outside grocery stores and milk booths.

Covid-19: Active cases in India as on March 26 stand at 553:Health and Family Welfare Ministry has confirmed 553 active cases of COVID-19 as on March 26, 8 am.

AIIMS to launch tele-medicine facility for non-Covid19 patients:With Out-Patient Department and other medical facilities halted at Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) as part of measures to contain Covid-19 spread, the institute will launch a tele-consultation facility for its non-Covid19 patients.

Five new corona cases in Bangladesh, fears over exodus from Dhaka:Five new Corona cases were reported from Bangladesh on Thursday taking the total number of infected persons in the country to 44. Confirming the new cases, the Institute of Epidemiology, Diseases and Research (IEDCR) said that 11 people who tested positive have been released from hospital after recovery and five died from the virus.

Sri Lanka did not register any COVID 19 case for the second consecutive day today:Sri Lanka did not register any COVID 19 case for the second consecutive day today as the country remains under curfew.

Singapore: Number of cases reach 631 with 73 new cases:In Singapore, on Wednesday, 73 new COVID-19 cases have been reported in a day taking the total up to 631.

Saudi Arabia seals off Mecca, Medina and Riyadh: Coronavirus:Saudi Arabia has sealed off the cities of Mecca, Medina and Riyadh and extended curfew hours. The step was taken after the country reported its second death from COVID 19.

COVID-19 requires a global response: G20 Members at Virtual G20 Summit:Leaders from the group of 20 nations attended an extraordinary virtual G20 Summit through video conference on Thursday.

India & Russia stress on international cooperation fighting COVID-19:India and Russia have stressed the significance of international cooperation for unitedly fighting COVID-19, including within the framework of G-20. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin had a telephonic conversation and discussed the global situation in the context of COVID-19 pandemic.

Free ration for 6 months to the homeless, landless: PM Hasina amid Covid-19 threat:Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said that government of Bangladesh is prepared to tackle any tough situation arising out of the Corona pandemic.

US Senate votes to grant struggling aviation sector big bailout:The U.S. Senate voted late Wednesday 96-0 to give the U.S. aviation industry $58 billion in aid, half in the form of grants earmarked to cover some 7,50,000 employees’ paychecks, in a badly needed lifeline for an industry facing the worst travel downturn in history.

Campaign rallies make way for ‘coronavirus briefings’ for President Trump: President Donald Trump has a new daily ritual now that the pandemic has put the kibosh on the signature campaign rallies that helped him get elected four years ago: the coronavirus briefing.

92 soldiers killed in Chad’s deadliest Boko Haram attack: Ninety-two Chadian soldiers have been killed in the deadliest attack ever by Boko Haram jihadists on armed forces in the country, President Idriss Deby Itno has said.

Spain surpasses China with 3,434 Covid-19 deaths:Novel coronavirus continues to wreak havoc across the world with Spain crossing China in death toll.

CII sets up fund for MSME to tackle Covid-19:The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has announced setting up of a CII COVID Rehabilitation and Relief Fund (CRR) to assist small enterprises or MSME in rehabilitation. This decision was taken by a CII Forum on Covid-19 which is leading industry response measures to the Coronavirus pandemic.

German economy could shrink by 20% this year due to coronavirus: Ifo:Germany’s economy could contract by as much as 20% this year due to the impact of the coronavirus, Ifo President Clemens Fuest said, as German business morale tumbled to its lowest level since the global financial crisis in 2009.

Coronavirus downturn will be worse than 2008: WTO:The World Trade Organization’s chief said that projections show the economic downturn and job losses caused by the coronavirus pandemic would be worse than the 2008 recession.

Veteran Hindi film actress Nimmi passes away:Nimmi, the star of 1950s and ’60s Hindi movies such as ‘Aan’, ‘Barsaat’ and ‘Deedar’, died on Wednesday after prolonged illness. She was 88.

DST sets up COVID-19 Task Force for mapping technologies:Department of Science and Technology (DST) has set up a COVID-19 Task Force for mapping of technologies from Research and Development labs, academic institutions, start-ups and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.

China conducts second combustible ice extraction in South China Sea:China extracted 861,400 cubic meters of natural gas from combustible ice during a one-month trial production in the South China Sea, the Chinese Ministry of Natural Resources announced on Thursday.

Singapore scientists study genes to fast-track coronavirus vaccine:Scientists in Singapore say they have developed a way to track genetic changes that speeds testing of vaccines against a coronavirus that has killed more than 16,000 people worldwide.

Covid-effect: From HD to SD, digital industry to temporarily change streaming:All companies from the digital industry have decided upon temporarily defaulting HD & ultra-HD streaming to SD content or offering only SD content, at bitrates no higher than 480p on cellular networks until 14 April.

COVID-19: AIIMS to start tele-consultation facility:All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi is going to start a tele-consultation facility for its follow-up patients in a day or two.

29 private laboratory chains approved for testing COVID19:A total number of 29 private laboratory chains have been given approval for testing of corona virus. These private labs have 16 thousand collection centers across the country.

London Zoo seeks donations to safeguard animals: Coronavirus:The world’s oldest zoo is shut to the public for the first time since World War Two as London locks down because of the coronavirus pandemic, but for the roughly 18,000 animals housed there, life must go on.